Hawk hunting: Houston soccer clips No. 15 Kansas for first ranked win of Ben Williams era

On a rainy Friday night in its home finale, the Cougars shut out No. 15 Kansas 2-0, earning their first ranked win of the Ben Williams era after seven previous attempts dating back to the 2025 season.

With the victory, the Cougars have now won seven conference games for the first time since 1999, when they won nine in Conference USA. They also defeated a ranked team for the first time since 2021, when they beat No. 23 Memphis 1-0 at home, and secured the joint-highest-ranked win in program history, matching a 1-0 road win over No. 15 SMU in 2021.

“It’s been a long time. Our players work super, super hard. It’s what they deserve,” Williams said. “Obviously, in the polls, UCF wasn’t ranked, but they were top 25. So beating a 23rd team in the country and a 15th team in the country back-to-back is special.”

Kansas aggressively attacked Houston’s wings and disrupted the Cougars’ attack with its pressing structure in the first half. Despite having four corners and making three shots, Houston’s sturdy defense kept the Jayhawks in check. It was the first time the Jayhawks have been shut out in conference play this season.

“We were sitting a little bit too deep, we were letting them hit balls, and we were just kinda not getting up in their face and not pressing enough,” Williams said of the first half play.

The second half was a different story for Houston, as the team fired seven shots with five on target.

Just over a minute into the second half, junior forward Skylar Miller ran down the right flank before whipping in a cross. After a bounce in the penalty area, fifth-year defender and captain Ella Morgan connected with a first-time, half-volley shot that sailed over Kansas redshirt junior goalkeeper Sophie Dawe and into the back of the net.

“As soon as we scored that, I said we got this. We’re gonna win this game,” Morgan said.

Senior midfielder Ava Shannon sealed the deal in the 79th minute, receiving the ball and driving upfield before launching a shot from 25 yards out that beat Dawe to the left corner of the goal.

“I didn’t really see a pass dribbling, and I was just like, let me take it all the way. I did and I shot it far post. Hope for the best, and it went in,” Shannon said.

Even when Kansas ramped up the intensity, finishing the game with eight shots and 11 corners, the Cougars’ backline kept sharp and calm under pressure, allowing just two on-target shots.

“Good defenses win championships and good attacks win games,” Williams said. “So you got to be good defensively, no matter what.”

Houston ends its home slate with an 8-2 record and has all but secured a spot in the Big 12 tournament.

Now sitting at 11-3-4 (7-2-1 Big 12), the Cougars will look to end their regular season on a high note on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Waco, when they take on No. 8 Baylor.